Ferris State 3, Union (N.Y.) 1: Bulldogs to face Boston College in title game

TAMPA — The team from Big Rapids is headed to college hockey’s biggest game.

Ferris State beat Union, 3-1, Thursday night with an opportunistic goal from junior forward Kyle Bonis, and brick-wall goaltending from Taylor Nelson.

• BOX SCORE HERE

The Bulldogs (26-11-5) will face Boston College at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.

“We have one more to go,” Bonis said. “It’s exciting for us, but we’re only halfway there for a championship. That keeps this win in perspective.

“We are only halfway to history.”

Forward Aaron Schmit scored the first and final goals for the Bulldogs.

This is Ferris State’s first trip to the Frozen Four, and it now readies for a David versus Goliath championship game at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

“We certainly feel very fortunate and look forward to the championship game,” said Ferris State coach Bob Daniels.

Schmit tied the game late in the second period, and Bonis won it with a backhander off a rebound on a shot by senior defenseman Brett Wysopal late in the third.

“It was a great shot by Soaps,” Bonis said, “and I tried not to think about it too much when I got the rebound. It was a rolling puck, but I hit it flat. He came a lot closer to saving it than I would like. He’s a heck of a goalie.”

Goalie Troy Grosenick shook his head in the somber Dutchmen locker room afterward.

“I left out a bad rebound,” Grosenick said, “and good teams will take that opportunity and put it in the net. Bonis is a good player. He took that chance and didn’t miss. He got good wood on it and the goal.”

Bonis raised his arms and stick in triumph as his teammates surrounded him with 4:43 remaining. He planted the puck into the wide-open net to the left of Grosenick to win the biggest game Ferris State has ever played in any sport.

It was his 19th goal of the season, one behind Jordie Johnston for the team lead.

The Dutchmen pulled Grosenick with 1:20 to play, and Schmit scored his eighth of the season and second of the game into an empty net on a breakaway with 55 seconds remaining to sew up the outcome.

Still, Ferris State goalie Nelson, who made 27 saves, wasn’t putting the game in the book just yet.

“One minute is a lot of time,” Nelson said. “Yes, I was very excited to be up two goals at that point. But one quick goal changes everything. We had to be locked in.”

And they were.

The Bulldogs had the best opportunities down the stretch in the third period.

Schmit got a breakaway a few strides in front of the net but couldn’t score with his shot and went sprawling into the boards.

Ferris State got its fourth power-play opportunity midway through the third period, but Grosenick was up to the challenge after Mat Bodie went off for elbowing. He stopped two good shots just before Bodie left the penalty box.

The first Frozen Four goal in Ferris history was scored by Schmit on an assist from Bonis.

That tied it at 1-1 with 2:58 left in the second period, providing a boost that would allow the Bulldogs to enter the third period even up.

Dutchmen forward Cole Ikkala went off for charging, and Ferris State cashed in with 22 seconds remaining on the power play.

Union controlled the face-offs in the second period without much to show for it. Though, it did score first.

Dutchmen forward Daniel Carr redirected a slap shot from out front by Greg Coburn, and Nelson couldn’t snare it with his glove hand. The red light went on 7:56 into the period and the Dutchmen celebrated.

The Bulldogs had the game’s first power-play opportunity less than a half minute later, when Ryan Forgaard went off for tripping.

However, Ferris State couldn’t capitalize that time.

Both teams played it safe in the first period, and taking few chances resulted in few really good scoring chances. Though, Bulldogs defenseman Chad Billins hit the post near the elbow over Grosenick’s right shoulder.

The period featured nine blocked shots by the Bulldogs, who were accomplished in keeping nearly half of the 20 shots by the Dutchmen away from Nelson. Wysopal led with four blocks.